The church of Virgin Mary of Lagouvarda in Markopoulo (Virgin Mary of the Smakes) is built where an old convent used to be. The tradition says that many years ago, the nuns of this convent when the Turks threatened them, prayed to Virgin Mary for help. As a miracle snakes appeared form everywhere scaring the Turks. The nuns were saved and from that date on every year on the 6th- 16th of Aufust these little harmless snakes emerge fron the rocks of the churche's bell tower. They are considered a symbol of good luck and a bad omen for the village or the island if they don't appear, as for example in 1940 and in 1953, the year of the earthquake.